Gold Butte Backcountry Byway

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4.4/5 (10 reviews)
Mesquite, Nevada (Clark County)
Last Updated: 04/01/2023

Trail Information

Highlights

The Gold Butte Backcountry Byway offers a glimpse into Southern Nevada’s most beautiful landscapes and the history of the Anasazi and Paiute Indians, as well as early American Miners. The Gold Butte Backcountry Byway is built from historic mining roads and cattle trails that wind its way through the hills and washes of the Gold Butte country. You'll enjoy some great views and plenty of opportunities to see desert wildlife, ancient petroglyphs, sinkholes and red and white sandstone formations with Lake Mead and the Muddy Mountains off to the west.

Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Trail Navigation

Trail Reviews

4.4/5 (10)
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Official Crew
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3500
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 03/22/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

This area is absolutely gorgeous! Be careful if you see mud in any of the trail spurs. Check its stability and depth before driving through.
Trail Review: Gold Butte Backcountry Byway - Jen Marshall
Trail Review: Gold Butte Backcountry Byway - Jen Marshall
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Open
Rated 4/5
Visited: 02/06/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Beautiful area. Trail rating is spot on. Most is easy, but as you get deeper on the trail the rougher it gets. So many spots to stop and take pictures and explore. We spent the night and moved on the next day. Here is a link to a video of the trip.
Open
Rated 3/5
Visited: 01/27/2022
Difficulty Accuracy: Easier

Camped on this trail and ran it clockwise in a few hours. The east side down to Gold Butte is pretty fast graded road, the west half is a little slower. Views were excellent, but Gold Butte wasn't as interesting as I hoped it would be. Worth checking out if you're in the area but maybe not a destination.
Trail Review: Gold Butte Backcountry Byway - Andrew Earle
Trail Review: Gold Butte Backcountry Byway - Andrew Earle
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Official Crew
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65800
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 10/28/2021
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Spent a few days in Gold Butte at the end of a run through the Arizona Strip. Great area! Plenty of camping. Found Falling Man, hiked Little Finland, camped at the old Gold Butte townsite, and lots of other fun things.
Trail Review: Gold Butte Backcountry Byway - Wade May
Trail Review: Gold Butte Backcountry Byway - Wade May
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Open
Rated 4/5
Visited: 03/27/2021

Nice area to explore. The roads are well maintained with some areas more rocky than others. The “paved” road getting in seemed worse than the trail. 4x4 is not needed but being air down will make the ride a lot more comfortable. We spent the weekend out here with one night at little Finland and the other at devils cove. Little Finland was very cool and is a must see. We got there right before sunset and the red rock really popped. Gold butte town was something to check out but not much to see. Seven key hole is another must see and worth the short hike. Whitney pocket seemed a little crowded but would be nice to camp and have a great view of the rock formations. Anyway, I recommend checking this place out.

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